Trunk-catch



(No Model.)

0. D. HUNTER.

TRUNK CATCH.

No. 498,472. Patented May so, 189s.

FIG. 2.

FIG.

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Wzesses z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORANGE D. HUNTER, OF TERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO M. GOULDS SONdu CO., OF NEWARK, NEV JERSEY.

TRUNK-CATCH.

" SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,472, dated May30, 1893.

f Application filed December 1,1892. Serial No. 453,751. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORANGE D. HUNTER, a resident of Terryville,Litchiield county, Connecticut, have invented an Improved Trunk- Catch,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a face view of my improvedtrunk-catch; Fig. 2 a vertical central section of the same; Fig. 3 aperspective view of the same showing the loop projecting from the rearof the box that holds it. Fig. Ll is a vertical central section of theparts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the loop-holdingbox,showing the loop in the act of introduction. Fig. 6. is a rear View ofsaid loop-holding-box with the loop applied.

This invention relates to a new trunk-catch or fastener, and consists inthe novel combination and arrangement of parts whereby the introductionand retention of the snap-loop in the loop-holding-box are facilitated.

In the drawings the letter A represents the loop-holding-box, and B thesnap-loop, C being the spring that snaps the loop into the closedposition. These parts are fastened in the usual manner to the face of atrunk.

D isthe counterpiece intended tobe attached to the lid of the trunk andhaving the proj ection ct, over which the loop B is intended to fold, asin Figs. l and 2. So far as described, these part-s are related to eachother in the ordinary manner. l

The point of this invention lies in the manner of connecting the loop Bwith the box A. Heretofore the connection between these parts wasestablished by placing a back-plate over the box for the' purpose ofconfining the pivotal portion of the loop in place. This required theuse of rivets or other fasteners and involved considerable labor andexpense. It has also been suggested to supply the boxA with lugs thatcan be bent over the pivotal part of the loop B. This also requiredadditional and expensive manipulation and rendered the lugs in the actof bending liable to break.

My invention consists in providing the box A, in its side wings b, withrecesses d that are wider in front than they are in rear, so that eachof these recesses with its contracted rear portion shall form in mannerhereinafter described the pivotal support for the pivot-bar e of theloop B. The pivotbar e is of a diameter substantially con forming to thediameter of the large portion of each recess d, and is at or about itsmiddle provided with the usual cam-proj ection f that bears against thespring C, so that the spring may snap the loop into the closed position.By having these notches d wide enough at their front portions they form,as has already been stated, proper bearings for the pivotal portion d ofthe loop; but by having these same notches open at the rear by means oftheir narrow rear portions, I am permitted to introduce the loop B intoplace on the box by a lateral sliding motion. T hus Fig. 5 shows theloop B partly pushed into position, and it will be seen from this figurethat the upright portions g of the loop are enabled to slide throughthenarrow mouths of the notches d. In like manner thecam-projection f -iscapable of` sliding through these narrow portions of the notches d, andwhen finally the entire loop has been pushed in by the lateral slidingmotion referred to, it occupies at Iirst the position represented by theperspective view in Fig. 3. Even in this position the loop can no longerbe disconnected from the box A, except by the lateral sliding actionreferred to but as it will be seen that in this position which is shownin Fig. 3 the loop B projects rearward, it follows that when afterwardfor actual use the loop is swung forwardly into either of the positionsshownv in Fig. 2 and the box A is then riveted or screwed onto thetrunk, the loop can no longer be disconnected from the box, but willbefree to swing thereon from the uppermost position shown by full lines inFig. 2 to the lowermost position shown by dotted lines in the samefigure; and thus without bending or attaching any special parts forretaining the loop B I am enabled to establish the requisite pivotalconnection between the same and the box and to permit a rotationof theloop of almost n one hundred and eighty degrees.

The parts of which this fastener is composed may be cast, and can veryconveniently be cast into the desired form; they may be con- Ioc`structed of rigid metal which could not be bent after casting, and Willstill be able to answer the desired purpose.

Having described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1S

l. In a trunk fastener, the loop holding box A constructed with notchesd adapted to form bearings for the pivot of the fastening loop, whichnotches are Wider at their front portions, and narrower at their openrear portions, than the pivot bar of said loop, said open rear portionsbeing hovvever, Wider than the side bars of the fastening loop, at thepoints

